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There were nine people at the gates: two men, a woman, two boys-one with the irls, a toddler and a babe-in-arh to make it apparent that they had not fared well in the last , and two of them were barefoot They came, empty-handed, up the narrow, rutted road to Mont Calcius, all seeth

"This is our place," said the older of the two ate and faced Sanct&039; Gerates "We are trying to return to our homes"

"Perhaps," Sanct&039; Germain replied steadily in Latin, as the audion and dark-red Persian leggings of Daer asthe fibula that held the shoulder of his clothing, and the Byzantine dagger through his belt He kept his expression cordial as he regarded the nine over the top of the gates

"It is," the man insisted, his hand on the hilt of a short, wide-bladed sword that had seen better days "We have lived here for generations"

"You left it," said Sanct&039; Germain in a level voice; out of the corner of his eye he saw Csi toward hi his tone sharp "It is our ho way We want toThere are others, too They will coht, shining like brass in the sky; beneath its rays, the land hummed with heat so that even the dust drowsed

"Will they?" Csierian toldfor anything he ates "Let them come They will face what you face They will have to kneel to er man stared at Csimenae "Your son?"

"Aulutis He is named for my father," she said defiantly in a ue of her people "You will have to promise him your fealty if you are to be allowed to return here"

The younger hed "How can you keep us out?"

"I have weapons and

At this Sanct&039; Gerht, surely You wish to colanced at Csihbors back withouta contest of their presence They should have no reason to refuse giving loyalty to your son for the sake of the village, and you will need their help to keep the place going"

"They left They left er man "You Tacanti I remember what you did You took the last of er man looked away "It would have been wasted Your husband was dying, and youYou could make no use of it, not with a husband to bury How could I know you would find robbers to help you?"

"Robbers?" Csi with spite "Thisfros He has kept h his skills as a hunter, and has ars like you, yes, and robbers, cannot colanced at Sanct&039; Germain "You will not let them harm me, will you?"

"No," he said "But I have no wish to har her displeasure

He was not disappointed "You will do as I tell you, or you will leave this village; no one comes here now, but on my sufferance," she said sharply "I will allow no one to diminish my position, for that will harm e hiates at the returning villagers "I will have water brought out to you, and you may think about what you wish to do" She turned and called out to Rogerian to fill two buckets at the well "These will be yours," she said, addressing the nine onceto eat We have gone two days without food" He held out his hands "Surely you will not deny us so?"

"You were ready to denyto sustain s of onions You took everything else and you kneas pregnant, so you illing to condeates "Weren&039;t you?"

The olderYou lived and your child is alive You understand, then, hoe feel"

"I certainly do All the more reason to consider"You say you want to co but your appetites with you Is your fealty so much to ask, when you offer so little?"

The older man lowered his head "It is our ho useful in our presence?"

Sanct&039; Gerue; Csi this bargaining

"I a to be done, haven&039;t you? You have need of me And my nephew, Blada, he has tended flocks before You ant to have a herdsman for your flocks, won&039;t you? You cannot keep your flocks penned all through the suraze and to run We are willing to do what needs to be done" He held his hands out to her "It rong to take food fro it, how can you refuse to take us in?"

"So you have studied the village," Sanct&039; Gered

"We feared robbers," muttered the older of the two

Csimenae&039;s temper flared "You ht I would be dead along with the rest" Her accusation was so stern that all but the infant looked abashed

"Then you will not let us in," said the wo in every line of her body "You refuse to let us return to our home"

"But I do not refuse," said Csimenae directly to the woman "Ione, I cannot let you displace h you have drunk the blood of horses You left and e and I have kept it safe with that defender You cannot discount what I have done" She looked at each of the people standing before her on the far side of the gates "If you swear allegiance to my son, and kiss his foot in token, you n you a house and see that you have food But you iance to Aulutis or you hed as he wiped his brow "I had a house of ive you, or you will have nothing," Csie now; I hold it for ht She has the right We cannot deny it When we left, she stayed here-"

"Did she?" Tacanti interrupted "Or did she flee and then return?"

"I was pregnant," Csith to bury one away, then cooats?"

"As you said, you had that man"-he pointed to Sanct&039; Gere with his servant," Csi up She cocked her chin in the direction of the here Rogerian had just begun to fill the first of two buckets "You knoas You, Tacanti, have no right to say I did not remain"

Ione laid her hand on Tacanti&039;s are We cannot deny her his authority"

"Perhaps not," said Tacanti, his features sullen and his voice truculent "If she has truly not left the village"

"If you would take my Word," Sanct&039; Germain interrupted, "I will swear that she has not left the village since ot here, and that was very soon after you left"

"Ha An easy thing to say, when you hold the village," Tacanti countered

Sanct&039; Gere means little to me I have no reason to lie to you"

"You have a woman to lie for," Tacanti accused

In answer, Sanct&039; Gerhed "Not I," he said "Nor would Csirieves for her man, who died after you left" He folded his ario, to claim women as a ram claims ewes My servant and I came upon Mont Calcius by chance, and stayed forconvenience You in Csimenae&039;s devotion if you say otherwise"

Tacanti was about to speak again; his denation; but the older man put his hand on Tacanti&039;s shoulder "For noill accept what this stranger says, Csiain"

"Oh, no You are not through the gates yet," Csiive them the water We will return after we have tended to the animals You may say then what you have decided to do And if you are allowed in, that will be the end of it There will be no discussion, only your oath to erian to open them sufficiently to hand out the two buckets of water As Sanct&039; Gerainst the heavy planking, saying, "Nine of them We can keep them off if wethe here the stones were higher and thicker than near the gates "They will not be able to overhear us as readily"

"Oh," she said, glancing uneasily at the gate "Yes; they could listen"

Sanct&039; Ger to the barns "You knohat has to be done"

"That I do," said Rogerian, and strode away froates

Csie; she took hold of Sanct&039; Germain&039;s wide sleeve "We can hold them off, keep them out, can we not?"

"So we can," said Sanct&039; Germain, "if that is what you truly want"

"What do youas it was intense "Why would I not want to keep this village for my son?"

"I only mean that it seems wise, at least to me, to admit these nine They will e against others who ht ree it would not be hard to keep those nine fro in, but double that number, or triple? If more should coave her a long moment to think over what he had said "And if they should attack as a group, they would surely kill Aulutis and you when they break through the walls"

This last held her attention as his other observations had not "They would not dare," she said with more bravado than conviction

"Do you think so," he said "They illing to let you die with youryour son? Or you?" He waited while she began to pace "It would be useful to have a herdsoats Then these people ant to defend the village"

"That Tacanti will try to hurt my son He is too proud I do not trust hiesture of frustration "He is despicable"

"He may be" Sanct&039; Gerht be most prudent to have hiainst you where you cannot touch hiives his vow to Aulutis and then breaks it, the other villagers will see that he pays the price If he gives no oath, then he will be able to do aith you and your son without disgrace"

She studied him in silence for some time "You do not kno he is"

"I have some experience of treachery," Sanct&039; Gere to his voice as he recalled the assassins in the Temple of Imhotep, the uncle of the Farsi warlord, Led Arashnur in Rome, Nicoris&039; half-brother at the Hodiopolae "Tacanti may be unknown to me, but perfidy is not"

"Then why should I not refuse to let hi "You see for yourself that he is-"

"I see that he must be watched I see that he may well prove unreliable But I see also that it is better to have him where you can see him than where you cannot If you exclude him, then he becomes your declared eneainst you," Sanct&039; Gerives his vow of allegiance, his family will be bound by that even if he is not"

Slowly she nodded "Yes I see that; I had not thought of it," she said, condehtened her shoulders "Very well If he will swear fealty to ain But he must be housed as far froates," Sanct&039; Germain pointed out "That could prove unwise if he should decide to admit your foes"

Csiest?"

Sanct&039; Germain paused before he answered "Where was his house before he left?"

"Near thestone beside it" She caught her lower lip in her teeth

"Let hierian and I can keep watch on hied "He ain"

"Do you think so?" She watched him out of the corner of her eye

"No," he adive him less opportunity to complain, and his complaints will not be as much heeded" He was not entirely convinced, nor was Csi

"Then, if he says he will give his oath to Aulutis, he will have his house back again Otherwise I will bestow it on one of those who is willing to kiss my son&039;s foot, to sho loyalty is rewarded" She almost clapped with satisfaction, then her brow darkened once more "If he will not swear, then I will send him down the mountain Let his do"

"You do not want hiainst you, for that would persuade others that he was right in his opposition," Sanct&039; Gerurown and what you will need to do to keep hiers youhere for many years to come"

She stared at him resentfully "You have no reason to help hie You have told me you will not remain here So what use is your advice?"

Sanct&039; Germain was ready to answer her "It is useful because I will not linger here I have nothing to lose and nothing to gain from his success This is your hoht color ive youbut success to you and your son"

"You helped him into the world," Csimenae allowed "That should bind you to him as his protector"

"If you like," Sanct&039; Ger to fear fro her eyes with her hand, the better to read his expression "I will think about what you have said," she announced before she turned away froates

For a short while Sanct&039; Gerhts far away; the sun bore down on hith and hdad-only thirty-five years ago-drove hihtness did He busied hi cheeses until he heard Csi his name He set aside a clothful of new curds and stepped out into the blazing afternoon where he found her waiting, Aulutis in her arms, a clean cloth wrapped loosely around hiates that they have until sundown to make their decision Two of theht "I want to knohat you think is best I ree with your recoh," Sanct&039; Germain said "I would allow any to enter as soon as they say they are willing to swear fealty to your son It is often such concessions that wear down the le nod "So I think Henabo has said he is willing to kiss Aulutis&039; foot this instant"

"Henabo?" Sanct&039; Gerhter Pordinae have asked to be admitted So has Blada, but Tacanti says he will not perhed aloud "It shook his pride, to have his nephew speak so"